Government has instructed private schools to enroll 10% underprivileged children
KARACHI: It is commendable that under the Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2017, the government has instructed private schools to enroll at least 10 per cent of underprivileged children out of the total. This way these students will receive education equal in standard to those in private schools.
However, ensuring that the schools follow the instructions of the District Education Authority is going to be a huge task. Also, the decision might prove to be beneficial in the short run only, as for a longer period of time, it will only broaden the divide between the standard of education that is provided in public and private schools — already standing poles apart in terms of the quality of education.
Hence a more practical approach would be to implement a common curriculum and a common examination system in schools across the province because children from government schools find it difficult to make it to the top institutions of higher learning.
Taha Yousaf Iqbal
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2018.
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